In recent years, handles having retractable shafts became increasingly popular, particularly for pulling luggage items mounted on wheels. The retractable shafts are attached to a handle grip and can be elongated to an extended position for the purpose of pulling the luggage item, e.g. a suitcase. This arrangement provides a convenient way for wheeling the luggage item.
When not in use, the shafts are retracted into tubes built into the luggage item. The tubes built into the luggage item introduce two negative aspects. First, they take up valuable storage space in the luggage item. Second, they provide a bumpy surface for packing goods inside the luggage item. It is preferable, therefore, to have a handle that uses minimum space when retracted into the luggage item.
It is common in telescoping handles to have means for securing the telescoping members in the extended position. Typically, such securing means comprise the insertion of a ball or a pin through coincident apertures in the telescoping members. Typically, the ball or pin is sprung as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,664 to Chiun-Jer Cheng, which was issued Jul. 7, 1992.
The sprung balls or pins introduce two disadvantages. First, they add to the cost of production. Second, they prevent the telescoping members from being completely retracted. Typically, the sprung balls occupy about 4 cm in the longitudinal direction of each overlap of two telescoping members. Thus, multi-member telescoping handles which use sprung balls are very long in the retracted position. For example, a three member telescoping handle which uses sprung balls retracts to a size about 8 cm longer than a fully retracted handle. Similarly, a four member telescoping handle which uses sprung balls retracts to a size about 12 cm longer than a fully retracted handle.
The present invention is directed to alleviating some of the aforementioned difficulties or problems and provide a collapsible handle which takes up little space.